Spectral Stalkers (book)
|references=400 |authors=Peter Darvill-Evans |illustrator=Tony Hough |coverillustrator=Ian Miller |year=July 25 1991 |number=45 |prevbookp=Legend of the Shadow Warriors |nextbookp=Tower of Destruction |ISBN=ISBN 0-14-034366-0 |pufimage= }} :For other uses of '''Spectral Stalkers', see'' Spectral Stalkers (disambiguation) Spectral Stalkers is a single-player role-playing gamebook written by Peter Darvill-Evans, illustrated by Tony Hough and originally published in 1991 by Puffin Books. It forms part of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy series. It is the 45th in the series in the original Puffin series (ISBN 0-14-034366-0). There are currently no announced plans to republish this book as part of the Scholastic series. Creation Background - Back Cover ("Dragon" Edition)}} The book begins on the usual ''Fighting Fantasy setting of Titan, but actually involves the player travelling to a variety of different settings. These settings include other fantasy worlds and even futuristic science-fiction locations. Adventuring Among the Spheres The book in general follows the original rules set down in The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (see Game System). Unique Rules This adventure features a trail score that begins at 0. This is a measure of the trail the player leaves behind them as they travel that the Spectral Stalkers follow. At various points the player is required to Test Your Trail Score which is a 3d6 roll. If the rolled amount is equal to or greater than the trail score the player remains undetected. - pg.11-12 Equipment List - pg.12-13 *Sword *Backpack *2 Provisions In the course of the "Background" section the player is told they are carrying 8 Gold Pieces. - pg.17 A few entries into the book, the player also gains possession of the Aleph. - 316 Cover and Illustrations Covers The original cover of the book was designed and illustrated by Ian Miller. Illustrations The interior illustrations were by Tony Hough. There were 29 full page illustrations and 6 minor repeated illustrations scattered throughout the text. The paragraphs with a full page illustration were: 1, 6, 11, 21, 36, 51, 66, 96, 105, 115, 126, 135, 145, 156, 171, 186, 216, 246, 261, 276, 291, 306, 321, 336, 351, 366, 376, 386 and 396. Additionally, (81) is illustrated by two diagrams and (168) by a smaller picture, all presumably by Tony Hough also. The colour map of the maze on the inside front cover was by Leo Hartas. Intertextual References Other Media Main Characters YOU: Hero of Spectral Stalkers *Baratcha - Vaskind Queen *Barogkaz *Burud *Cerod - Minstrel *Drawenna *Felice *Frampa - Lord of the Citadel *Globus - Archmage *Grondel - Elf *Marvip the Magician/The Conjuror - Vampire *Mayrek the Potter/Hermit *Metron the Mapmaker *Necromon *Semeion Cryptoglyphos *Syzuk the Devastator *Wayland Locations *Khul *Macrocosmos *Neuberg *River Gibelvatter *The Crystal Garden *The Eternal Garden *The Library in Limbo *The Seven Courtyards *Titan *Vitreous Citadel *''The Ghostly Visitors'' *Ziggurat World Encounters *Barogkaz *Feliti *Goblins *Humans - Innkeeper *Logic Dog *Mantir *Necromon *Ophidian *Ranganathans *Sandsnake *Silica Serpent *Skeletal Warrior *Syzuk *Vampire *Vaskind *Were-Cat *Wood Elves Further Notes *Interestingly, the "Puffin" logo on the spine which usually faces right on Fighting Fantasy books, faces left on some editions of this book. *This book is partially a -based book and its central theme is the hunt for the Aleph. *The Aleph appears to be based on the Jorge Luis Borges short story " ", which describes a point in space that contains all other spaces at once. Interestingly, the term "Aleph" has appeared before. In a previous Space-based book, The Rings of Kether, the planet Kether is in the Aleph Cygni system. (Aleph is a letter, equivalent to the .) *The robot illustrated for (96) appears to be based on from the film . *The humanoid illustrated for (145) likewise appears to be based on from (Darvill-Evans at the time of writing Spectral Stalkers was the Editor of the Doctor Who range of original fiction). Errors *At (250), Semeion states that as an object beyond any physical laws, the Aleph would have no trouble at all passing through Globus' Prism of Power, whereas most other forces would be deflected. However, at (268), (338) and (396) the Aleph is clearly shown to meet physical resistance as it touches the Prism. *(285) should link to (206) instead of (153). *(317) should link to (206) instead of (153). *In the text entry on (259), "images" should presumably read "mages". Dedication none See Also Reviews External Links *Character Sheet - Retrieved 2019-10-26 *Maze Map (Inside Front Cover) - Retrieved 2019-10-26 *[http://www.gamebooks.org/show_series.php?id=11 Fighting Fantasy at Gamebooks.org] - Retrieved 2019-10-26 *[http://www.gamebooks.org/show_item.php?id=89 Spectral Stalkers at Gamebooks.org] - Retrieved 2019-10-26 *[http://web.archive.org/web/20050403175829/www.fightingfantasy.com/ffb45.htm Spectral Stalkers at the Internet Archive record of the old] Fightingfantasy.com - Retrieved 2019-10-26 References Category:1991 books Category:Fighting Fantasy Original Series